POSCO Future M, Mass Production Supply of Single Crystal Cathode Materials at Pohang Plant

Employees at POSCO Future M's Pohang cathode material plant are celebrating the initial shipment of high-nickel NCMA single-crystal cathode materials to Ultium Cells in the U.S. on November 27. Photo by POSCO Future M

Posco Future M has begun full-scale supply of high-performance electric vehicle battery materials, specifically single-crystal cathode materials, at its Pohang plant following Gwangyang.

The product mass-produced at the Pohang plant is NCMA (Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese-Aluminum) single-crystal cathode material with a nickel content of 86%, supplied to Ultium Cells, the US battery joint venture of General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solution. Posco Future M, leveraging its high-temperature sintering and homogenization coating technology, successfully began the world's first mass production and supply at the Gwangyang plant in March. To meet the rapidly increasing orders, the start of mass production at the Pohang plant was advanced by about two months from the original schedule of January 2024 to early November.

NCMA single-crystal cathode material combines the core raw materials nickel (N), cobalt (C), manganese (M), and aluminum (A) into a single crystal structure, increasing energy density and thereby extending driving range. It is a high value-added product that also improves thermal stability and lifespan, with demand rapidly growing in line with the trend toward high-performance electric vehicles.

Posco Future M plans to continuously expand single-crystal production lines at domestic and overseas cathode material production bases to maximize not only driving range but also safety and lifespan performance of electric vehicles, and to mass-produce single-crystal cathode materials with various particle sizes.

Accordingly, the production capacity of the Pohang cathode material plant is expected to increase from the current 30,000 tons to 106,000 tons by 2026, growing alongside the Gwangyang plant into a key base for targeting the global battery materials market.